In motion: 12 of the best photos from the Giro d’Italia

A pick of the best images from the past week's racing action from the Giro d'Italia (May 2 - May 8)

1/12

The Netherlands loves the Giro

Thousands line out to see the riders and teams presented ahead of the start of the 2016 Giro d’Italia in Apeldoorn. The race kicked off with a short time trial around the Dutch city the following day.

Credit: Graham Watson

2/12

Valverde makes Giro debut

Alejandro Valverde greets the crowds as he prepares to make his first Giro d’Italia start at the age of 36. The Spanish champion has eyes on the overall prize, and leads a strong Movistar line-up into the race.

Credit: Graham Watson

3/12

Spartacus falls short

Fabian Cancellara was unable to fulfil one of his final season ambitions of taking the maglia rosa on the Giro’s opening time trial. Cancellara finished eighth but lost even more time on the sprint finish of stage two.

Credit: Graham Watson

4/12

Dumoulin in pink

Tom Dumoulin prepares for his first outing in the pink leader’s jersey at the 2016 Giro d’Italia, after the Dutchmand took the race lead in the opening time trial in Apeldoorn.

Credit: Yuzuru Sunada

5/12

Nibali takes first advantage in the GC

Vincenzo Nibali put in a decent time trial performance to take a slender advantage over his GC rivals in the opening weekend of the Giro. Nibali is looking for his second win in his home Grand Tour after winning the race in 2013.

Credit: Yuzuru Sunada

6/12

The race rolls out

Home favourite Tom Dumoulin leads the peloton out on stage two of the Giro d’Italia. It was a successful start to the race for Giant-Alpecin, with Tobias Ludvigsson taking the young rider’s jersey in addition to Dumoulin’s overall lead.

Credit: Graham Watson

7/12

Unstoppable Kittel

Marcel Kittel launches his sprint on stage two of the Giro d’Italia. No-one was able to get near the German in the finish in the Dutch city of Nijmegen.

Credit: Yuzuru Sunada

8/12

A nervous day

Dimension Data’s Jay Thomson was far from the only rider to hit the floor on the third day of the Giro d’Italia, with high speeds and plenty of road furniture on the Dutch roads making for a nervous day in the bunch.

Credit: Graham Watson

9/12

Wind plays havoc on day three

The winds of the Dutch lowlands begin to play havoc with the peloton, with a number of riders being caught in groups behind the main bunch as echelons formed.

Credit: Graham Watson

10/12

Didi hits the Giro

Didi the Devil shows he’s still going strong as he shows off his pink trident on the roadside of the Giro’s third stage.

Credit: Yuzuru Sunada

11/12

The peloton heads to Arnhem

The streets on Nijmegen were lined with spectators as the riders rolled out on stage three towards Arnhem. Marcel Kittel showed his dominance once again as he sprinted ahead of his rivals for the win.

Credit: Yuzuru Sunada

12/12

Kittel in red

Marcel Kittel donned the red points jersey for the third stage of the 2016 Giro, but it would get even better for the Etixx sprinter as he took the maglia rosa with his stage win into Arnham.